The present invention relates to door latch openers and more particularly to a door latch opener which can be used in a reversed position.
Door latch openers are known mechanisms for operating a latch bolt to move the latch bolt in and out of engagement with a striker plate to selectively lock and unlock a door. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,593 there is disclosed a door latch opener having a handle mounted on a base plate to pivot about a first axis and with a bell crank actuator mounted on the base plate to pivot about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. The handle has a projection engageable with the actuator when the handle is pivotally moved. In that patent the latch bolt mechanism would be disengaged from the striker when the handle is pushed downwardly against the bias of a spring.
In some circumstances it is desirable to have a handle which unlocks the door by pushing on the handle and in other circumstances it is desirable to have the handle unlock the door when the handle is pulled. Also, in some circumstances it is desirable to unlock the door by operating on a handle which depends downwardly and in other circumstances it is desirable to unlock the door by engaging a handle which extends upwardly. Also, a separate door latch opener is required on each side of the door and both openers must cooperate without interference with the other to engage a single latch bolt.
In presently available door latch openers, different openers are required to satisfy each of the different operating orientations. Thus, a much larger inventory of parts and final assemblies is required to satisfy all of the different operating orientations than if a single assembly were available which could provide the necessary opening functions in the various described orientations.